Buckle for hose supporters, suspenders, or the like



May 22,' 1934. w. F. FASSETT BUCKLE FOR HOSE SUPPORTERS, SUSPENDERS, ORTHE LIKE Patented May 22, 1934 BUCKLE FOR HOSE SUPPORTERS.

SUSPENDERS, OR THE LIKE Wallace F. Fassett, Derby, Conn., assignor toThe Ansona O & C Company, Ansonia, Conn., a corporatio of ConnecticutApplication April 13, 1933, Serial No. %5,857

1 Claim.

This application relates to buckles, and more particularly to that styleof buckle which employs a fixed or body portion having a movable parthingedly connected thereto with provision for clamping between themovable and fixed members a strip of Web or fabric. such buckles arecommonly used with hose' supporters, suspenders, and the like, and onerequirement of such devices is that they may be made to le as flatly aspossible upon the fabric or web.

The movable part of such buckles is usually arranged so that it is ineffect moved past a dead center position when closed, so that a pull onthe web to which the buckle is secured will not tend to cause it toopen. The opening of the buckle is usually accomplished by slipping theend of the fnger or nger naiI beneath the movable or hinged part andraising it upwardly or swinging it about its pivot so that the web ZO orfabric is released. As the front plate portion is usually so shaped thatit will lie fiatly against the fabric and not protrude, it is sometimesdifficult to insert the finger or finger nail below the plate, and forthis reason gives considerable annoyance to the wearer when an attemptis made to open the buckle.

One object of this invention is to provide a buckle of the characterdescribed which may be opened readily by, and without annoyance to, theoperator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle for suspenders,garters, or the like, such that the buckle will lie flatly against theweb or fabric to which it is connected, and at the same time may bereadily engaged by the finger or finger nail when it is desred to openthe same.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a buckle of thecharacter described with a manually engageable member or lip connectedto the hinged or movable portion of the buckle, this connectionpermitting the lip or manually engageable member a certain amount ofplay, so that While it may lie closely against the fabric when thebuckle is closed, it may also be moved away from the fabric to allow theinsertion of the finger or finger nail thereuncler prior to the openingof the buckle.

A still further object of the invention is to '50 provide the hinged ormovable portion of the buckle with a manually engageable member formanipulating the same, the manually engageable member being movablyconnected to the hinged portion.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of a hose Supporter having myimproved buckle mounted &loj` thereon;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the front plate of the buckle andthe associated parts;

Fig. 5 is a reverse View of the front plate partly in section taken online 5-5 of Fg. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the body or fixed j` portion of the buckle.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown abuckle comprising a fixed or body portion 10, the lower end of which isbent rearwardly and upwardly, as shown at 11, 75, and crimped about theend of the web or fabric 12 to which the buckle is designed to beconnected. The body portion of the buckle is also provided with a bar 13connected to the portion 10 by end members 14. It will be understood so.

that it is the usual practice to provide all of the aforesaid parts asone integral structure, the metal being cut away to provide the endpieces 14 and the opening 15 between the bar and the member 10. It willbe understood that the web or fabric is designed to be passed throughthe opening 15 and gripped therein, as will be hereinafter explained.

Pivotally connected to the body portion of the buckle previouslydescribed is a hinged portion go; comprising the front plate 16 and agripping or jaw member 17. At the ends of the jaw member the metalthereof is slit and bent inwardly against the front plate member toprovide an eye 18 at each side of this portion of the buckle. These eyemembers embrace the bar 13 adjacent the ends thereof and form thepivotal connec tion between the front plate 16 and the body portion 10.

As shown in Fig. 3, the web or fabric is passed through the opening 15between the portion 10 and the bar 13 and is loosely and slidablyreceived in this opening so that the buckle may be adjusted to anyposition desired along the fabric. When the front plate portion ispressed inwardly against the fabric, the gripping or jaw member 17 willbite into the fabric to some extent and clamp it against the bodyportion 10 so that no movement of the web through the opening 15 will bepermitted. This is the position shown in Fig. 3 and it will, of course,be understood that the front plate member may be moved outwardly to movethe jaw member 17 from a position opposite the body portion 10 and thusrelease the fabric. As it is necessary to insert the finger or fingernail below the front plate 16 in order to do this, itihas been foundpractically impossible to make a buckle wherein the front plate will lieclosely against the fabric with which the buckle is used, and at thesane time permit the ready and easy manipulation of the hinged member torelease the fabric and adjust the buckle.

In order to accomplish this result, I have provided a lip or manuallyengageable member by which the front plate member may be manipulated,the manually engageable member being hingedly connected to the frontplate so that it may lie closely against the fabric and be movedoutwardly to a position where the finger or finger nail may be insertedthereunder. This manually operable member also serves to raise the frontplate, but a limited movement of this member is permitted prior to-thebeginning of the raising action so that the member may be easily movedfrom its position against the fabric and the end of the finger insertedthereunder to move the front plate` member and open the buckle.

In the form shown, the manually engageable member comprises the lip 20having a bar 21 received in trunnions 22 formed on the reverse side ofthe front plate member 16. It Will be observed that the bar 21 is flatand the trunnions 22 are so shaped that the lip member 20 may be movedbetween the full and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 4 withoutmoving the front plate member 16. When in the dotted line position shownin Fig. 4, further movement of the lip 20 to the left is prevented bythe lug 23 on the bar 21 striking the rear face of the member 16. Thiswill be the ordinary position of the lip member when the buckle isclosed, and the lip member will lie tightly against the fabric.

If it is desired to open the buckle, the lip member may be moved fromthe dotted line to the full line position shown in Fig. 4. This movementwill be accomplished without movement of the member 16 and will move thelip member 20 away from the fabric so that the finger may readily beinserted thereunder. At this point the bar member 21 will bind in thetrunnions 22 and further movement of the lip member will move the frontplate member therewith and effect the opening of the buckle. It will beunderstood that the bar member 21 will, as shown in Fig. 4, engage atits lower end against the front plate member 16 and bind at its upperend upon the inner surface of the trunnions so as to limit the relativemovement between the front plate member and the manually operable lip.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the detailsshown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit ofthe invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a buckle, a body portion having an opening to receive a strip offabric, a plate portion hinged to the body portion and designed whenmoved downwardly to cooperate therewith to grip the fabric therebetween,a manually engageable member movably connected to said plate portion bywhich the latter may be manipulated, said member being movablerelatively to the hinged portion to lie closely against the fabric or tobe raised therefrom for insertion of the finger therebetween, means forconnecting said member to the plate portion comprising trunnions on oneof said parts and a bar on the other part received in said trunnions,and stop means for limiting the movement of said member relatively tothe plate portion in an upward direction to a position wherein themember is substantially in the plane of the plate portion.

WALLACE F. FASSETT.

